the long search

When you have nowhere to go, go back to yourself.

To Hope

Beyond hope, there is memory. Years back, I had read this line somewhere.





B and I. We rarely met. Whenever we did, we did not have time for each other. Just enough to exchange pleasantries. But I knew B well enough. He was a part of the extended branch of the family tree.


I have not met him in last three and a half years. He lives a few hundred miles away.


Last time I saw him, he was on a hospital bed, unable to move. An accident had left him immobile. Doctors said he had hurt a nerve somewhere along the cervical vertebrae.


B was a good student, did well for himself with a Government job. He was a better painter and a writer. He was passionate about his after-work life.


That January night, three years back, he was on his way back after a game of badminton when B met with an accident. Nobody noticed him though. He was lying by a desolate roadside for the next six hours till the day break when someone spotted him. There were some minor bruises on his body, ones which would not need any hospitalization. But he had hurt himself bad.


In the next few hours when he was rushed to the hospital, I saw him lying on his bed. He appeared normal. He felt no pain. He felt nothing below his neck. No sensation at all. In clinical terms, it’s called quadriplegic.


B was married just for seven months. I remember attending his wedding. He looked very happy that day.


His family worked very hard for him. He was put through severe physiotherapy regimes but there was little or very slow improvement. Sometimes, at low-levels of quadriplegia, limb functionality returns. Sometimes, when the degree is severe, it takes years. Sometimes, it just does not.


B’s improvement was slow. There were times when he, out of sheer desperation, would want his near and dear ones to leave him to die.  But his family never gave up on him. His wife M just did not.


I have not met B ever since.


A few days back, when I returned home, as usual after the mid-night, I saw a book lying on the table. It was short story collection and B was the author.


I turned the cover. The first page read: To M.  I owe this book to you. And, this life too.


*****


One need not always hold on to memory. Beyond hope, I believe, there is still hope. Even in the depths of hopelessness when every light of faith and belief flickers out, there is still hope. We just need to know where to look. I am sure B did find out.


 


To B. And, to Hope.



(Image:  http://www.manywallpapers.com)

39 comments:

Keshi 16 April 2009 at 15:33  

A touching story of tragedy, loss, hopelessness AND HOPE.



**Sometimes, it just does not.

made me sob in silence...


**Even in the depths of hopelessness when every light of faith and belief flickers out, there is still hope.

made me BELIEVE again...


When all is lost, it takes a long time to recover and start to see hope...I know how B felt. Dun ask me how.


Keshi.

Agnes 16 April 2009 at 18:12  

It's a little bit hard to find the right things to say after reading such an overwhelming story, Soul.

Very beautifully written.

Diana Sahu 16 April 2009 at 18:43  

They say hope dies last. I believe this to be true. When U have nothing left to believe in, Hope gives U the courage to hold on,
giving U the strength that U didn't know U had.

A touching story indeed.

renaye 16 April 2009 at 19:01  

hope. not tangible. but if we hold on to this elusive hope until we reach the end of the tunnel, hpoe will be materialised. but sometimes this tunnel is just too long for one to walk in....

thanks for sharing this story.

Liara Covert 17 April 2009 at 01:18  

The story of Morris Goodman, known to many as the Miracle Man, is a similar inspirational story about a man who did not give up on himself. This story is an inspiration. Thanks for sharing. Apparent challenges are some of the universe's most effective wake up calls to the sleeping soul. Each person is invited to snap out of their inner coma, relearn to live.

WarmSunshine 17 April 2009 at 01:36  

Hello Sib,

Don't have the words to really say after reading this one.

Other than that, I always find your way of writing very interesting :)

*hugs*

REG 17 April 2009 at 04:37  

It reminds me of the story The Sea Inside. I am amazed by the resilency of the human spirit. Glad to see you're writing again.

Anonymous 17 April 2009 at 19:28  

Hope, faith and most important, love, conquer all!! Thanks for reminding me. A story of triumph!!

Pine 17 April 2009 at 19:31  

Hope, faith and most important, love, conquer all!! Thanks for reminding me. A story of triumph!!

Pauline 17 April 2009 at 19:34  

Hope, faith and most important, love, conquer all!! Thanks for reminding me. A story of triumph!!

Lena 17 April 2009 at 21:32  

a beautiful story with a great message.. there is hope beyond hope and basically sometimes thats all we have got

Talking To My Soul 18 April 2009 at 02:02  

-->Keshi

I know it's easier said than done. This hope thing. But when everything is lost, what does one hold on to? Hope, I guess.

I wont ask you how, Kesh.

Thanks, dear.

*smilez*

Talking To My Soul 18 April 2009 at 02:03  

-->Agnes

Someone else's story. I just tried to tell it honestly. I hope I did.

Thank you so very much, Agnes. It's always great to see you here.

*cheers*

Talking To My Soul 18 April 2009 at 02:05  

-->Diana

Hope is the thing with feathers is what I had heard. Guess, it's true.


Thank you, Di. Don't change your DP and name so frequently.

*cheers*

Talking To My Soul 18 April 2009 at 02:07  

-->Renaye

Sometimes it's very difficult even to hope, I know. But..what's the other option???

Thanks, Renaye, for coming over. I have not been to your blog for some time. Will be there soon.

*cheers*

Talking To My Soul 18 April 2009 at 02:16  

-->Liara

After having visited your space, I guess I have nothing to say, Liara. I am glad you came here. Thank you so much. Been my pleasure.

*cheers*

Talking To My Soul 18 April 2009 at 02:17  

-->Mehreen

Say anything you like, Mehreen. I'll be glad to have them here.

Thanks for the good words.

*smiles*

Talking To My Soul 18 April 2009 at 02:19  

-->Reg

Yes, I have seen that film too. Mr Bardem was inspiring. It's kind of similar, I guess.

Thanks for coming over. I was stuck with some work. So could not update really.

*cheers*

Talking To My Soul 18 April 2009 at 02:20  

-->Pauline/Pine

Hi Pauline. Great to see you here. And you are right in everything you said. Spot on.


Thanks for coming over. Do return.

*cheers*

Talking To My Soul 18 April 2009 at 02:21  

-->Lena

You are spot on. Sometimes, hope is all we have.

Thank you so very much for being here.

*cheers*

Just call me 'A' 18 April 2009 at 10:06  

this was so touching and went right to my heart. I believe in hope. when there is hope there are possibilities. i always hold that thought close to my heart.
what is the name of the book?

Just call me 'A' 18 April 2009 at 10:07  

ohh btw, my food blog link has changed. do update your blogroll

Talking To My Soul 19 April 2009 at 02:26  

-->A

Thanks, A. It was someone else's story and I just tried to tell it. I am sure there are hundreds of such inspiring tales. God bless the real fighters.

Thanks for coming over. I will update the blog roll too.

*cheers*

Agnes 19 April 2009 at 02:54  

Yes, you did :-)

Hope is a beautiful concept all together.

Talking To My Soul 19 April 2009 at 16:57  

-->Agnes

Thanks, Agnes. I would take your words on face value.

By the way, I hope I have not badgered you with my No 1 fixation at your blog.

*cheers*

Agnes 20 April 2009 at 03:01  

Are you kidding me??? LOL

Keshi 20 April 2009 at 11:30  

yep HOPE is what will always be there for someone when all others leave...

Keshi.

Talking To My Soul 21 April 2009 at 02:21  

-->Agnes

Nopes, Agnes. I was not kidding. I was serious about kidding. :D. Now I have the license to kid. I too dont like growing up, lady.

Thank you.

*cheers*

Talking To My Soul 21 April 2009 at 02:26  

-->Keshi

HOPE. That's an ocean.

Howz you, Kesh?

*smilez*

~vagabond~ 21 April 2009 at 02:30  

Beautifully written. There always is hope...you just have to wait long and hard to realize that it always was there even in those moments when you believed it never existed. The waiting and believing it exists is the hardest part of it but then one day you walk out into the light at the end of the tunnel and look back at the darkest bits of the tunnel, and you realize that hope was what held your hand all along and led you out.

~vagabond~ 21 April 2009 at 02:35  

I forgot to mention that I love your header...the caption answers a question I've been asking myself. Beautiful photo too. :)

Talking To My Soul 21 April 2009 at 19:27  

-->Vagabond

You are so true when you say this: One day you walk out into the light at the end of the tunnel and look back at the darkest bits and realize that hope was what held your hand all along and led you out.

What it says is never ever give up even when it seems impossible.

Thank you so very much for reading it.

*cheers*

Talking To My Soul 21 April 2009 at 19:29  

-->Vagabond

Thanks. I am so glad you liked the header and the caption. I found it out for myself when I took a rather long travel trip all by myself. All you have is yourself.

Thank you so much.

*cheers*

Keshi 22 April 2009 at 12:08  

Im very well Soul ty and urself? :)

Keshi.

Trevor Penn 25 April 2009 at 23:51  

Overwhelming!!!

Only the people who know us best know when we beat ourselves up.

Hope will take one as far as one allows it to.

B and M are such an inspiration.

Sorry for being so randam. :-)

Talking To My Soul 26 April 2009 at 00:25  

-->Keshi

I am good, dear. And I know you are busy. Have a good weekend.

*smilez*

Talking To My Soul 26 April 2009 at 00:27  

-->Trevor

Hi Crooner. Long time, eh! Good to see you.

You are so true when you say hope will take one as far as one allows it to. That's the most difficult part, I guess.

Thanks for coming over. Thanks.

*cheers*

Miss Komal 19 July 2009 at 18:25  

*Sigh *

Ah,i was so deeply sunk in the story .
picturesque description.

And i agree with agnes
"It's a little bit hard to find the right things to say after reading such an overwhelming story"

:-)

Talking To My Soul 23 July 2009 at 22:58  

-->Komal

Thanks, dear. Thanks for those good words. I tried my best to remain true to the story.

*cheers*

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If we admit that human life can be ruled by reason, then all possibility of life is destroyed

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